This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange

Kain sulked.

Majestically (as would be expected of the Rank 1), but undeniably.

He was seated on the couch in the Top 5 lounge, limbs sprawled like a collapsed monarch, staring into the distance with the full force of betrayed entitlement.

He’d brought the others here—Addison, Elias, Leonara, Aiden, Bridge, and Finn—not to commiserate, but so their inevitable loud chatter wouldn’t bother the other dorm residents. Apparently, consideration was another thing he was now forced to embody in his Rank 1 era.

Somehow, this felt like a downgrade.

They were trying. They really were.

“You’ve been so generous,” Addison said gently.

“Truly noble,” Leonara added.

“Saintlike,” Elias concluded, holding up a cup of coffee from the pot in the lounge that he brewed specifically to toast Kain’s ‘sacrifice.’

Kain didn’t move. Didn’t blink.

‘What is this generosity? Can I eat it?’ he thought flatly.

It wasn’t fair. He’d won. He was Rank 1. But somehow, through a series of conspiracies, diplomatic maneuvers, and suspiciously sweet smiles, he was still in the same room, same bed, same view… while Serena continued to reign from her high castle dorm.

His name was on the top of the leaderboard.

But she still had the better shower…

Kain inhaled, ready to vent, but then—

He felt a presence.

And not his annoyingly cheeky friends trying to comfort/butter him up.

Serena walked in. Calm. Poised.

And then, to his shock, sat down beside him.

The room quieted.

Without saying a word, she leaned over… and gave him a hug.

A full, genuine, no-armour-to-separate-them-only-thin-home-clothes hug.

Kain’s brain immediately short-circuited.

His soul left his body. Re-entered. Tried to leave again.

Serena pulled back and offered him a small smile. “Thank you… for being generous.”

Addison gasped.

Leonara made an exaggerated swooning sound.

Elias nearly dropped his cup. “Should we give you two some privacy?”

Kain’s ears turned red. “Shut up!”

Aiden raised a brow before giving Kain a wink. “I understand now why you gave up the room.”

“No! I mean—yes—but not because of that!”

Bridge tilted his head. “So… she’s not your girlfriend?”

“No, she’s not!”

He stood up, fully prepared to argue semantics with the group all over again when Serena gave him a look that somehow both teased and dared him to continue. He sat back down.

But he was no longer sulking.

——————-

Time passed quickly after that.

Final exams wrapped up.

Assignments were turned in. Mission reports finalized. Students packed up and began their journey home.

For many, the school year had ended.

For Kain and the other members of the Top 5, it was only the beginning.

One by one, his friends departed.

Addison and Aiden were selected for an off-season training course run by the Royal military division. It was an intensive training experience, said to be difficult to get into

Leonara left with two suitcases as big as herself, and a new contract she refused to tell anyone about.

Elias gave a tearful goodbye performance. Kain wasn’t sure whether it was sincere or for his own ego. Probably both.

Bridge…went 10 minutes away.

Since the orphanage had relocated to Dark Moon City, he was only a short trip away from campus. He didn’t need to go far. He came and went from the campus quite frequently still taking advantage of the training facilities that were still open. Mostly keeping to himself, training his wolves in the newly restructured southern training fields.

The campus quieted.

And it hit Kain for the first time that this had been their last full school year together.

From the third year onward, beast-tamers majors rotated into fieldwork more regularly. Less class time, more deployment. More missions. More separation.

Schedules would rarely line up again.

The chaotic, teasing lunches in the dining halls. The group training matches. The late-night talks as a group in the campus cafés.

They wouldn’t happen like this again.

And Kain felt the weight of that more than he thought he would.

But there was no time to dwell.

Because now came the real challenge.

The National Tournament.

The Top 5s of each year remained on campus, preparing to represent their respective grades in what was easily the most prestigious and highly publicized event of the academic year.

Kain reviewed the roster.

Fourth Years: The lineup was the same, though their internal ranking had shifted. Jade was still officially Rank 1, but…

She’s strong, Kain thought. But she’s not Ezra.

Ezra, their former team captain, had graduated last year. His leadership had kept everyone sharp and given the team confidence in victory.

Jade had strength. But she didn’t have the dominating strength and talent of Ezra to inspire a lot of faith that she could lead the team to victory.

Third Years: Also, the same lineup with some rank changes—Kyria (now rank 1), Rhiannon, Alexei, Jin, Cressida, —solid, experienced, highly coordinated.

Second Years: Ranya was out.

Dwayne was in.

A surprise that through a wrench in their teamwork. Although her individual strength had always been on the lower end, Ranya’s teamwork and support abilities had always been exceptional. It was unknown how Dwayne would fit into the team now.

First Years: A total shuffle.

Supposedly, only two from the original group at the beginning of the year remained (not that Kain knew any of them anyway)

Kain glanced over the first years briefly and noted that the thin, wiry boy that he’d met in the final qualifying stage of the College’s relic (the one with the unusual gift to make things disappear from existence), was still not in his year’s top 5.

Strange.

Kain couldn’t tell if the kid was holding back or hiding something, or if he is just that untalented at fighting. Either way, he remained a mystery.

Not seeing him, Kain quickly lost interest in the others.

Both the first and second year Top 5s would need significant work if they hoped to compete in the team segments.

3v3s. 5v5s.

It wasn’t just about personal strength anymore.

Team coordination and synergy would be needed to secure victory as well.

Timing.

Trust.

Kain sat beside Serena one evening, both watching the sun set over the arena grounds from one of the upper terraces.

Neither spoke for a while.

Then Serena asked, “Are you ready for the next step?”

Kain nodded. “I’m ready for the National Tournament.”

She shook her head. “Not that. The next step.”

He turned.

She didn’t smile, not exactly. But there was a glint in her eyes.

“The school-wide Top 5.”

The elite team.

Not divided by year.

Only power.

The best of the best.

Kain and Serena, as 5-star beast tamers with blue-grade contracts, were now eligible to try.

But eligibility wasn’t enough.

They’d have to prove themselves.

And to do that, they’d need to overthrow the strongest students in the College.

The bar wasn’t just higher.

It was another mountain entirely.

Kain grinned at her. She had a matching smirk on her own face.

“Let’s climb it.”

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